Precautions will be taken at all material collection facilities (MCFs) and other centres connected to solid waste management in the district against any disaster, including fire, in the wake of the fire breakout at the Kozhikode Corporations’ MCF at West Hill on Sunday, Joint Director of Local Self-Governance department P.S. Shino has said.
The fire broke out in a building that had no power connection. The Corporation is removing the remaining waste on a war footing.
At present, new loads of waste are not being sent to this centre, he said.
Mr. Shino along with Malinya Muktha Navakeralam campaign district coordinator Manalil Mohanan, internal vigilance officer T. Shahul Hameed, and junior superintendent Prakashan visited the site, based on which a report will be submitted to the State government.
Meanwhile, the UDF council party of the Corporation has raised the demand for a comprehensive inquiry into the incident. Opposition leader K.C. Shobhita and deputy leader K. Moideen Koya alleged that the Corporation’s administration was trying to pull wool over the public’s eye and that it was taking more time in clearing rejects and legacy waste from the centre. Ms. Shobhita pointed out that the agency that runs the MCF at West Hill was appointed recently though the contract with the previous company expired in March. “Fires happen in the city very often, and the fires at Cheruvannur and at Njeliyanparamba recently were of similar nature. However, the Corporation is trying to hide the real issue by just filing a police complaint instead of trying to find the reason behind the repeated incidents,” she added.
